Step 1: Connect
- Contact our graduateadmissions.music [at] mcgill.ca (admissions staff) for more information about the program or for help applying.
- Visit or speak with us at anytime about the university and student life in Montreal.
1a. Find a supervisor or teacher
Explore Performance Department faculty profiles to find a supervisor or teacher before applying. Depending on your interests, you might want to explore profiles in other areas too. Once you've found someone with whom you are interested in working, contact them to discuss your interests.
1b. Bookmark admission dates and deadlines
| Application opens | Deadline to apply for fall admission | Admission decisions sent to applicants |
| October 1 | December 1 (all applicants) | February to March |
If you've missed the deadline, graduateadmissions.music [at] mcgill.ca (email our admissions staff). Late applications may be cancelled without refund and may not be considered for entrance scholarships/financial aid.
1c. Meet minimum admission requirements
Acceptance into this program is competitive and the final admissions decision rests with the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office. To be considered, you should have:
- A master's degree in music performance, or its equivalent, from a university recognized by McGill.
- A cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 3.0 out of a possible 4.0, or a grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 out of 4.0 in your last two years of full-time studies.
- Proficiency in English, the primary language of instruction at McGill.
Step 2: Check costs and funding options
Find out about funding and financial aid opportunities, cost of living and tuition fees.
Step 3: Prepare application materials
You will need to submit the following when you apply:
- Online On# graduate application and application fees.
- Transcripts from each college/university-level institution that you have attended.
- Two letters of recommendation (if you are currently a McGill student, you are exempt).
- Personal statement: Describe your reasons for applying to the Performance D.Mus. program at McGill University. Include qualifications, qualities or circumstances that are significant. Outline your performance, research and professional goals, your expectations of the program and your perception of your own strengths and weaknesses (one page, PDF format, maximum size 5 MB).
- Two recent essays (in English or French), showing knowledge of recent scholarship and the ability to think critically about issues in performance practice, music history, music analysis, pedagogy or a related field. Each essay must be a minimum of 10 typed pages, double spaced, including bibliography and citations.Combine them into one PDF file and upload to Written Work in the application (maximum size 8 MB).
- Research Proposal: Artistic research unfolds in many different forms from the study of scores and contexts through the analysis of performance itself and the creation of new works. Identify a primary area of artistic interest which you wish to explore as the basis of a final project culminating in a lecture-recital/paper (e.g., performance practice issue, little known repertoire, composer’s language, stylistic and contextual influences, role of technology, etc.). Outline the research path(s) (normally related to your performance activities) you want to pursue during this program. List two other areas of secondary interest (2 pages, PDF format, maximum size 8 MB).
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): An overview of your experience and other qualifications, including employment, academic credentials, publications, honours, awards, contributions and significant achievements (PDF format, maximum size 5 MB).
- Upload screening material by December 1st to your music portfolio (On# application).
Prepare required repertoire (avi, mov, mp4 or wmv format). - A list of repertoire:
- Conducting Applicants: repertoire conducted during the past four years (indicate the level to which pieces were prepared, e.g., performed, rehearsed, studied, etc.), PDF format.
- Jazz Applicants: A list of 25-30 standard jazz tunes from your performing repertoire. Upload it to Jazz Tunes Listing in the application (PDF format, maximum size 2 MB).
- All Other Applicants: repertoire worked on during the past four years (indicate the level to which pieces were prepared, e.g., performance standard, simple reading, reading plus some detailed work). One or two pages, PDF format.
- Jazz Applicants: Two or three original compositions. Upload them to Jazz Compositions in the application (PDF format, maximum size 10 MB).
- Your supervisor or teacher preference (optional) (* Does not apply to Conducting applicants).
- Proof of English language proficiency, if required.
Step 4: Apply online
- Get your supporting materials together. Please apply by December 1st and upload your documents by December 15th. Documents are uploaded after you file your application.
- If this is your first time using On# (McGill's online application form), create an account. You will be given a username and password for future use.
- Complete the graduate admission application HERE. During this stage, provide the names and valid institutional email addresses of the people providing your letters of recommendation. McGill will contact them directly.
- Pay the $129.03 application fee and the $77.41 audition fee (both non-refundable).
- Upload your supporting material to your application (on# application).
- Upload any multi-media material by December 1st to your music portfolio (on# application). Upon review of screening material, select applicants will be selected to audition (live or recorded.)
- Arrange for submission of proof of English language proficiency to McGill, if required.
Step 5: Audition
No audition will be considered unless screening material is submitted by December 1st . Select applicants will be invited to attend an on-campus audition.
- Find out how to prepare
- Check your repertoire requirements
Step 6: Accept
Already auditioned and trying to track your application status? Newly admitted? Take the next steps.
